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Thursday, May 31, 2012

via pinterest

Last night a good friend came in town and my husband went to meet him for a beer. Andy has been in both of our lives for many years and the excitement my husband felt when he got to spend some time with an old friend was adorable. It's that feeling that no matter how long you've been apart, when you're together, everything is the same. I love that. It's a good feeling to know you've got true friends.

me andy and hubby. 2009 chik-fil-a bowl

So, today
I am thankful for my friends - friends that are more like sisters.
Friends that are honest and real. Friends that know way too much
about me, but love me anyway. Friends that I will grow old with. I
am thankful for emails, texts and phone calls when we can't be together.
I am thankful that when I am a bad friend, they are good friends.
Thankful they are there in every walk of life. You could have 50 or
you could have 5. Whatever your number, cherish those true friendships.
Cling to them when life gets rough but also when life is
peachy. Let them share in you joys just
as you need them in your sorrows. God
has placed these people in your life for a reason. Love them, encourage them and most importantly,
make them smile.

To my girls,

I don’t tell you enough
how much I love you and how much you mean to me. Thank you for standing beside me in all of my
joys and all of my sad times. You are my
sisters.

Here's a few of those special ladies...

2003 - oh highschool

2006 - sophomore year in college. love them.

2008 - college graduation party. so fun.

2004 - senior year prom. yes we always took pictures like this. you're lucky i didn't post the professional one we had done in 8th grade....

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

I don’t think Matt and I
could have packed more into 3 days. It
wouldn’t be possible. I am so grateful
for amazing friends, close family and bud light. Here are a few pictures I snapped from our
Memorial Day Weekend rendezvous...

like father like daughter. me and george rocking our nerd glasses. or, as he likes to say, "our Buddy Holly glasses"

my sweet mommy and sissy

the birthday girl and her hubby

my sweet brother-in-law and his touching speech

cookout with The Clines. So happy to have them all the way from Nashville :)

Friday, May 25, 2012

Thursday, May 24, 2012

photo credit: Furnished Photography

This quote
was found scratched on the walls of a cellar in Cologne, Germany. It was written by a Jew hiding from Nazi
persecution. Talk about faith when it
made no sense. Talk about choosing hope
when it was easy to give up. Talk about
unconditional love when your heart hurt from fear. Talk about perspective.

I found this
quote and I loved it. So I did some
research to find the source, and when I did, it stung a bit. It touched a part of my soul that needed
encouragement. I could write pages upon pages about the inspiring message this quote has left in my heart, but I will stop – because
it needs no explanation.

Choose
faith.Choose hope.Choose love.Life will never give you more than you can handle.Don’t harden your heart to the world even
when it’s hardened itself to you.

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Wednesday, is that you? ALREADY?!? Goodness the past five days have flown by thanks to jam-packed plans and lots of fun. I apologize for my late start this week but when I first gave this blog life, I promised myself it would never be something on my to-do list. I would never feel obligated to write something just for the sake of posting something. Each post on Gratefully Inspired is a part of my heart, my soul and the inner-craziness that is my brain. It is my safe-haven and breath of fresh air. And it will never be a place of obligation or annoyance. So yes Wednesday, you may have snuck up on me, but I’m not scared. I’ve still got you, Thursday and Friday to make my mark…

So, about those past five days of utter chaos. One of those days was Saturday – sweet Saturday. I loved everything about you. For starters, I slept in until 10. OK I’ll say it again. I slept in until 10. And it was amazing. Sure it was interrupted sleep as my pup Sevilla felt the need to bark to her cousin Ellie in the room next door, but it was a form of sleep and I needed it. Then, my sister-in-law, Sarah, and I took our less than 15 pound pups on a three mile walk. We were so proud (and ecstatic that they slept the next two days).

After our walk it was lunch with our identical-looking husbands then I was off to Raleigh to shower a best friend before her wedding. The shower was beautiful and I wish I could take credit for all of the cute little touches and decorations, but I simply can’t. Oh, and I forgot my camera – gasp. So the pictures below are followed with photo credits because I completely stole them from Instagram and Facebook. But nonetheless, it was beautiful and delicious (delicious describing the five different martinis and matching cupcakes there for tasting). Not to mention, the shower was in a boutique full of to-die-for dresses, clutches and jewels. Martinis and dresses – a girl’s dream.

But as more of my friends jump on the marriage train I learn more and more about myself and about them. It’s crazy inspiring how you can have a 20 year old friendship and still learn new things about each other. This weekend I learned the meaning of a Bridal Shower and a little bit more about my friend. When I was engaged, some of my friends threw me a bridal shower and others threw me an engagement party. I was humbled and taken aback by the thoughtfulness each one of them put into those special days. I was overjoyed and so happy. But I don’t think I grasped what all went into that day. Last weekend, looking in from the outside, I saw just how much thought was put into the showers and parties, and the love behind the thought.

Ever heard of a champagne circle? Me either... until Saturday. Towards the end of the shower, there was a small group left. After dancing around like crazy people and singing at the top of our lungs, one of the other bridesmaids suggested a champagne circle. Everyone cheered and sat down (apparently they had done this before). In my mind I was thinking, “Aw fun, drink champagne and tell funny stories about Anna.” Well I was wrong. As each person passed the bottle, they shared things of which they are grateful. Some girls talked about Anna’s kind spirit. Other’s talked about her love and support for them throughout the years. But all were thankful for Anna – and her presence in their lives. When the bottle got to me, I immediately started to cry. Typical me. I don’t even have to speak to tear up. But I was overwhelmed with emotions. I was thankful for Anna too, and her constant presence in my life over the past 15 years. I was thankful for her great friends who have become my friends too. Thankful for the man whom she will marry in two short months. I was thankful to be witnessing such a precious moment in time. And it was then that I saw a whole other side to hosting a bridal shower, engagement party – anything for a bride-to-be. For those of us hosting the shower, it was like some sort of love offering, showing our support and gratefulness for Anna in this pivotal time in her life. It was also a promise. A promise to stick by the couple in the future, come what may. A promise to love their children and continue to be present in their lives. The feelings extend beyond the hosts undoubtedly; it extends to the people who came. The people who wanted to come but couldn’t and sent cards. I had felt all of these things in the past when hosting things for other great friends. But I have never been able to verbalize or truly put into plain terms what it was, until now. The showers and parties leading up to a wedding are fantastic – loads of fun. But they are also something sacred. A time when the bride and groom are shown just how loved they really are.

So Anna Banna,

You are loved. And you will continue to be loved. Your love and support for me leaves me humbled and grateful and I feel beyond honored to stand beside you on your special day. Saturday was a testament to the person you are. A person of integrity, compassion and selflessness. Casey – you’re a lucky guy. I love you and am so excited for July 14!

Friday, May 18, 2012

I'm so glad it is Friday and I'm so excited
for a jam-packed fun weekend! I've got my brother-in-law and
sister-in-law heading in town tonight, a shower for a best friend tomorrow and
a volleyball style birthday party for my other brother-in-law Sunday. Crazy
fun, I know. But this birthday party ordeal has had me perplexed all week
as to what to wear. It's in the afternoon and we will be playing
volleyball. In the sand. All day. But I still want to be
cute. It is a party after all... So here are some looks I'm going
for... which one is your fav?

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

One of my
best friends recently clued me in on a little secret called Birchbox. Now, I am officially obsessed. The excitement I feel when I open my mailbox
every month and see the little tan and pink box waiting for me is indescribable. I know I know, I’m dramatic – but it’s
true! Birchbox is a monthly club where you
receive sample sizes of some of the best beauty products on the market. The products can range from eye creams to
perfume, depending on your preferences on your profile. The best part? Trying pricey products before you
invest! I am a big fan of organic skin
care and natural products so every month I receive a variety of organic and
natural products. I chose not to receive
hair products because I’m pretty much married to my Sebastian, but the choice
is yours! So log on, request an invite
and get excited all right here.

Why I'm hooked - it's light and offers some shine but not glossy. It also provides SPF 15 so I don't have to worry about chapped lips. The tint is perfect for day but can take you right in to the night!

Why I'm hooked - this lightweight moisturizer is perfect for my sensitive chest and decollette. It evens out skin tone, offers a slight tint and has SPF 20! Perfect for every day and that is how often I plan to use it.

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

picture taken by me in Napa Valley, California

I’m 26, had 4
different jobs since college and still I wonder, “what will I be when I grow up?”
I started out college “knowing” I wanted to do Public Relations with a
side of Spanish. Then I hated it. Press releases, product comparisons – both made
me want to vom. I should’ve switch
majors for sure but I stuck it out and graduated with a PR degree. I got a job as a “translator,” that’s what my
resume says at least. I really did do a
lot of translation but I also did a lot of other “stuff”… so I kept looking for
“my dream job.” Then I found it – a sales
person. Yes, something I could do. Except I was selling Anheuser Busch products…
something I knew little about. I mean I love
a cold Bud Light at a Wolfpack tailgate, don’t get me wrong, but I was not the
best sales rep for beer. But
nonetheless, I was excited and eager to prove myself. Six months later I finally accepted the fact
that I was terrible at my job and was
only hurting myself. My hot boyfriend
(and now husband) had heard me mention a few times that I should’ve majored in
education so he convinced me to study like crazy and go back to school;
eventually getting my Masters in Teaching.
So there it was; my dream job – a 2nd grade Reading Teacher –
but still I wanted more. I wanted to
teach English as a Second Language and use my long years of studying Spanish.

So
life switched gears and moved us to Wilmington and here I am; an English as a
Second Language Teacher and I really do love it.I love my job.I love my kids.But – you guessed it.I’m on to the next.I want to do more.Prove more.Be more.That’s not to say I want a career change like
in the past – no definitely not.And
that’s not to say that I want a change next year or even in five years.But it’s in my blood to constantly look to
the future.I can’t help it.Ever since I was a little girl I was told “I
can do anything I want in life,” and that is what I’m doing.So in 5 years maybe I will get my PhD and
become a professor.Or maybe I will
start up that Literacy non-profit that has been brewing in my head.Who knows, maybe I’ll finally start up my
event planning business against all odds.But the thing is that despite what my career holds, I do know one thing –
the woman I want to become.I look back
and realize it didn’t’ matter what I was doing, it mattered who I was.None of the other stuff makes a difference if I’m not a
person of respect and integrity.So
instead of focusing on the next big career or what I hope to accomplish
professionally, I choose to focus on a better me.A me more like God.A heart more like Jesus.A friend I want to have.An ear that listens without judging.A laugh that is loud and sincere.And a voice that speaks kindness and truth
and not gossip.The rest will take care of
itself.Because in the end, it’s not
what I was that will be remembered – it’s who
I was.And that is the legacy I want to
leave.

So
Ms. Von Furstenberg – you go girl. You
are a woman of grace and dedication and everything else seemed to work out for
the best. Oh, and your timeless wrap dress? Perfection.

photo credit: Annie Leibovitz found herephoto taken on the wedding day of Diane Von Furstenberg and Barry Diller in 2001

Monday, May 14, 2012

Here we go again Monday... it's you. I choose not to acknowledge you because I'm so sleepy. Instead I will focus on my weekend past, so here it is.

Friday - long run with puppy, grilled out with hubby, biked to bro and sis-in-law's house, watched Easton sleep in big boy bed. impressive guys.Saturday - slept in, errands and more errands, some pool time, date night with hubby and time with my grandparents.Sunday - church and brunch with my sweet in-laws. house/lot hunting with hubby. cookout with the parents, grandparents and sister's family

Whew! Busy weekend, but grateful for time spent with my family. A now some pictures...